USA > Texas > Past history and present stage of development of Texas. Memorial and biographical history matter of the Lone Star state > Part 23
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state conventions, and stands high in the councils of the Republican party in Texas. He also affiliates with the Masons, Odd Fellows. W. O. W., Rebeccas, and is a member of the Board of Stewards of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Noble was married to Miss P. A. Wilson, of Mt. Vernon, dlan. 1, 1884, and one daughter, now deceased, was born to them. God having called the angel of their home to a higher life, Mr. and Mrs. Noble took an orphan girl to rear in their home. This is one of the noblest acts of mankind.
NEWTON, Marion Jasper
Mr. M. J. Newton, of Dallas, was born at the old Newton home-place, near Grapevine, Tar- rant county, Texas, April 2, 1862, during the civil war period. His father, Anderson Newton, was born April 27, 1805, in Kentucky, and was married in Boonville, Mo., to a Miss Bradshaw. Upon coming to Texas the family settled on a farm near Johnson's Station, Tarrant county, where the wife died during the fifties. The senior Mr. Newton was again married in 1853 to Miss Elsie Dalton, of Arlington, Tarrant county, she being a native of the Long Island in Roane county, East Tennessee. Born of this union were C. ("., a well-to-do farmer and stock-raiser in Greer county, Oklahoma; Mrs. Lucinda Crowley, Dallas; Mrs. Mollie Marney, Johnston's Station, and Mrs. Ann Forrister, deceased. The father settled land near Johnston's Station, lived the life of a farmer and stock-raiser, and died at Grapevine in 1897, aged ninety-two years. The mother died in Greer county, Oklahoma, in 1908, aged eighty-one years.
Mr. M. J. Newton remained on the farm to the age of twenty-one and came to Dallas in 1884, and was for three years connected with the street car service of the city. For seven years he was interested in the Richardson Ice Manufacturing Company's plant, and for the past eighteen years has been engaged in contracting in Dallas, both of a private and public nature. He owns farming interests in Tarrant county, improved property in Dallas, and the family home is at 1601 Douglas street. Mr. Newton was married March 30, 1882, at Grapevine, to Miss Isabelle Alford, and they have one charming daughter, Miss Allean at home, she being an accomplished musician. Mrs. Newton was born at Carlinsville, Illinois, and her mother now resides in East Tennessee at the ripe age of eighty years. Of the five daughters and six sons born to her four sons and three daughters are now living. The Newton and Alford families are of Irish and English extraction. The family worship with the Baptist church, and Mr. Newton belongs to the Ben Hur secret order.
PENICK, Hugh Thompson
Texas has drawn its population from almost every state and territory in the American Union and numerous foreign nations, and the imperial state of Alabama has furnished a large quota. These citizens, too, from the old Iron State have ever shown a marked degree of enterprise and high morals, and measured up to every responsibility in the development of the great and glorious state of Texas. These good people are still coming from the old states into Texas, seeking homes and investments, and among the more recent, at this writing, is Mr. Hugh Thompson Peniek. This gentleman was born on a farm near Town Creek, Lawrence county, North Alabama, March 18, 1856, his father being John Archie Penick, farmer, and his mother before marriage being Miss Pollie Ann Berry, both of Irish descent. His father was a
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Confederate soldier under Gen. N. B. Forrest, being a member of Co. H, 8th Artillery, 35th Alabama Regiment. Mr. Penick grew to young manhood in the community where he was born, and continued as a successful farmer until coming to Waco, which was in December, 1910, when he purchased business property at 1101 Webster street, and entered the retail grocery business with his two sons under the firm name of H. T. Penick & Son. He has also invested in residence property, which is another evidence of his faith in Waco's present and future development. As a matter of family record, Mr. Penick has been twice married, first to Miss Mollie Streater, of Lawrence county, Ala., Oct. 27, 1876, by whom he had five sons and three daughters, and she died in the year 1889. He was a second time married in 1891 to Miss Minnie J. Crosslin, also of Lawrence county, and by whom he had five daughters and four . sons. Of the seventeen children born to Mr. Penick and his two wives seven are living at this writing. Mr. Penick is a member of the W. O. W. and worships with the Baptist faith. He believes Waco will eventually make a city of at least 75,000 people, which is not at all unreasonable.
PATTERSON, Judge F. W.
Judge Patterson was born on a farm in Hunt county, Texas, April 4, 1870, his branch of the family being directly related to that of the Patterson family at Memphis, Tenn., including Josiah Patterson, for many years in Congress, and his son, Malcom R. Patterson, ex-Congressman and ex-Governor of Ten- nessee. His father, J. H. Patterson, came from the Old Volun- teer State to Texas prior to the civil war, and though a farmer from early training. served for a number of years as Deputy and County Clerk of Hunt county. Before marriage his mother was a Miss Lee Burgess, of Pittsburg, Texas, and was also a former Tennessean. The father died six and the mother four years ago, respectively. Judge Patterson's career is so singu- larly interesting as to be well worthy a position in commendable history. Leaving home without a change of clothes, with but thirty-five cents of coin in his "jeans," he acquired his literary education after he was twenty-one years of age at his own expense. For a while the soil of his pathway seemed to prosper discouragement rather than encouragement with a fertility, felicity and fecundity that severely tested his metal, but he never varied from the route of diligence and duty leading toward the storehouse of Suc- cess. First night out he slept in a wheat field one mile south of Commerce, and used wheat bundles for his pillow, bed and covering. Upon leaving home he became a railway section hand, later mastered the brickmakers' trade inside of two years, and during these years- driving spikes and moulding brick during the daytime-he studied his books by the light from "tallow-dip and midnight oil." A few days after he landed in Mt. Vernon he decided to learn the blacksmith trade, and for fourteen years pursued the same at this place and at Sulphur Bluff, this county. While in: Sulphar Bluff he was elected Justice of the Peace and also engaged in the drug business, holding his office for five years, and after seven years' study became a registered state pharmacist and holds a certificate to this effect at the present time. In 1908 Judge Patterson was elected County Judge by a majority of sixty votes. In the July primary of 1910 his majority was 2,300 votes, with no opposition in the followmg November election.
On Dec. 3, 1891, Judge Patterson was married to Miss Nellie Glass, of Mt. Vernon, her father, H. C. Glass, being a native of Arkansas, farmer and stock-raiser, and her mother a former Miss Theo. King, of Daingerfield, Texas. Mrs. Patterson is also a cousin of Gen. Hiram Glass, general railroad attorney of Austin, and her brother, W. B. Glass, is the foreign missionary representative of the Rehoboth Association, being now stationed at Laichowfu, China. Three daughters and one son have blessed the marriage. The family worship with the' Baptist church, and Mrs. Patterson and eldest daughter, Miss Alma, belong to the Fraternal Brotherhood. Judge Patterson also belongs to the Fraternal Brotherhood, the Masons and W. O. W.
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Judge Patterson is a man of a strong intellect, good judgment and refined tastes. Being one of them, he is naturally a friend of the common people, and can ever be found fighting for their interests. His Democracy is of the simplest, which is the best; he is a good cam- paigner, hearty, whole-souled, well met and glad-handed. It is said that history deals justly in its measurements of man's immortality. but what thinks the average young man of today- who now enters upon life educated and equipped at the age of twenty-one-of ludge Patter- son beginning at this period in life the achieving his official and popular standing in the public mind, and his commercial rating, in that he owns valuable property in Pittsburg, Sulphur Bluff and Sulphur Springs, and farming acreage in Hopkins county?
PIERCE, James Knox
Ar. Pierce was born Feb. 10, 1845, his parents naming him in honor of James Knox Polk, who had the year previous been elected President of the United States. The scene of his birth and boyhood days was on a farm near the confluence of the Hiawasse and Tennessee Rivers, in Meigs county, East Tennes- see, whose fertile valleys, blue waters and mountain scenery have long since sentimentalized poets, musicians and orators. Mr. Pierce worked on the farm, and went to school in the old- fashioned log cabin in the mountains until he was seventeen years of age, when, as a mere strippling of a boy-the civil war being on-he went to Knoxville and tendered his services to the Confederate cause in June, 1862, enlisting in Co. D., First East Tenn. Cav., commanded by Col. J. C. Carter. His regiment was used as scouts in the mountains of East Tennessee, Virginia and Kentucky, in which rough territory they participated in, approximately, two hundred engagements, numbered among which were the Siege of Knoxville, Morristown and Rogersville, East Tennessee. In the last named battle his brigade captured 2,000 men, artillery and all supplies. A short time before the war closed Mr. Pierce obtained a furlough to go home and get some clothing. of which he was in dire need, and being cut off peace was declared before he was able to rejoin his command.
In 1867 Mr. Pierce turned his face to the setting sun of the West. Traveling by steam- boat to Arkansas-Du Vall's Bluff-thence by rail to Little Rock, thence on foot twenty-five miles to Saline county, where he planted a crop in the early spring of 1868. However, he soon disposed of said erop, purchased a horse, saddle and bridle, and arrived in Hopkins county soon afterwards, in the spring of 1868. When he came to Sulphur Springs he found one hundred Yankees in control of the place, intimidating and murdering its citizens at will. Mr. Pierce and a small coterie of brave citi- zens met at Old Tarrant, then the county seat, to join Farr's company and assist in carrying out a program on a given day to massacre these riotous one hundred Yankees. The Yankees afterwards learned of this movement, minimized their das- tardly work, and the more sober-minded citizens advised against their destruction pending their proper behavior, and they soon afterwards moved their headquarters from this place. A few months after this episode began the uprising of the Comanche Indians, and Gov. E. J. Davis (carpetbagger) ordered the state militia to form for their suppression. Armed with commissions from the Governor, Mr. Pierce, Capt. Joe Bartley and "Doc" MeFall raised an independent company of soldiers in Hopkins county, but the same was never called into active service. Acting under orders and with seven men under him, well armed with shotguns and six-shooters, Mr. Pierce, on horseback, set out with an ox wagon train to convey commissary supplies from Jefferson to Jacksboro, the army fort. It
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was the understanding that soldiers would meet him fifty miles east of the fort to guard the train. Ten miles before reaching this point, to his surprise, he came in contact with the Indians. Preparing for defense to the best of their ability, while he and his men were await- ing the Indians to attack, again to their surprise firing was heard a short distance away, which later proved to be a company of cowboys following the trail of the Indians. The cowboys rushed onto the Indians yelling, and repulsed them with a loss of one killed and sixty head of horses.
Returning to Hopkins county, Mr. Pierce, as he states, settled on the poorest farm he' could find, and was married Feb. 15, 1871, to Miss Belle Wallar, daughter of A. W. Wallar, an old and honored Texan, who came from Kentucky and settled here in 1853. Mr. and Mrs. Pierce, having no children in their home, took into their charge for rearing and educating an orphan girl, Miss Beulah Brannon, who is now the wife of Prof. Oscar L. Guy, in charge of public schools at Italy, Ellis county. Throughout the intervening years Mr. Pierce has been unusually successful in farming, stock-raising and speculating in land, with the result that, he is today in a position of afluence and ease, owns about 3,000 acres of Hopkins county's choicest farming soil and pasturage lands, and is probably the largest taxpayer in the county, besides owning higlily improved town property at this and other points. Following the civil war this section of the state was overrun with horse thieves and murderers, and considering the fact that Mr. Pierce was at all times one among the more active in suppressing these elements, civilizing the community and developing the country, he is entitled to his good fortunes in this life. He attributes his success to acting honest and honorable with all men, having faith in Christ, and his advice to young men is to live to their promises punctually, learn to love and be loved by all men. A member of the Methodist Protestant faith, Mr. Pierce is liberal in his support of both church and charity, and as a good citizen hasn't a living enemy, so far as he knows. Prompt in the discharge of his every business obligation, his advice on business matters and problems affecting the community are sought and accepted, and his name associated with any given enterprise inspires confidence in its success. It is a pleasure to incorporate mention of a man like Mr. Pierce in this publication, and in drawing this sketch to a close it is hoped that his last days will be his best days. Mr. Pierce has been all the more able to bear the burdens and heat of a long and successful career through the advice and solace of his good wife, who has stood by his side in sunshine and shadow for forty years.
PRESCOTT, A. M.
Centuries hence, when the future historian shall compile his matter, it will be impossible for him to produce the history of the city of Waco without devoting some of its brightest pages to that of the fire department. It will be impossible for him to speak of its development from a mere bucket brigade to its present high state of efficiency without giving due prominence to Chief A. M. Prescott, who has been with the department for the past thirty-four years, and chief for the past twenty-five years. What the Waco City fire department is today in modern service is Chief Prescott in a nutshell, and so wise and well has he performed his duties in the past that there is, at this writing, no thought of retiring him so long as he is willing to serve. Chief Prescott was born at San Antonio, Texas, Feb. 27, 1854, within a stone's throw of the old Alamo. Two years in the school room represents the extent of his education, under the then uoted Prof. S. J. Newton, on account of the civil war coming on, and during this turbulent period his brother, William, Jr., filled cartridges while he pinched them for the Confederate army. During the reconstruction days following the close of the war he was having his fun out about Ft. Clark on the frontier as a cowboy. Back to San Antonio and learning the tinners' and plumbers' trade, he then spent eight years at Fort Concho, now San Angelo, when every man was a law unto himself, according to his prowess and marksmanship-wild days of the West in reality. Chief Prescott settled in Waco in 1876, when it was a mere village of about 7,000 people, and joined the fire department March 1, 1877, becoming chief Dec. 10, 1886.
Chief Prescott's father, William Prescott, was born near Lancashire, in Aughton county, England, in 1818, and died Dec. 10, 1888, at San Antonio. His mother, Miss Rachael
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MacArthur, was bodn in Paisley, Scotland, and died in December. 1889. Both came over on the same sailing vessel and upon landing at Galveston were married. Que daughter, now Mrs. Mary Deaton, of San Angelo, and sons-Aransas Pass (dead), William, Arthur Mac- Arthur, Albert Brighouse and A. M .- were born to them.
The Waco fire department represents an investment of about $500,000, and is main- tained at a cost of approximately $50,000 per aunnm, with a total of 205 men, sixty-two of whom are on permanent payroll and 143 are volunteers without pay, from the best blood in the city. There are seven fire stations, 12,500 feet of hose, seventy-five fire alarm boxes, twenty- eight miles of circuit wire, and at this writing a new motor engine car has been purchased. The seven stations are so distributed as to permit of every part of the city being reached within a distance of four blocks, and when Chief Prescott makes his daily ronuds to each of these stations he has traveled a fraction less than ten miles. On San Jacinto Day, April 21, he calls his department together for annual inspection, which has grown to be one of the yearly events of Waco, and on this day he also makes his annual report. Summarized, Chief Prescott's splendid development of our fire service has given this city the key-rate of 22 cents, which is the lowest of any point in Texas, and one of the lowest in the United States. A member of the national and state firemen's associations, Chief Prescott attends all the annual gatherings, is one of the best known fire fighters in the United States, among which circles he has numerous warm friends and admirers, especially in Texas. A big-hearted, whole- souled, jovial fellow and a good mixer among men, he belongs to the Elks, Eagles, Owls, Odd Fellows, Maccabees, A. O. U. W., aud the German and Maennerchor Clubs. He is also a man of an interesting family ; admires and is admired by a wide acquaintance among the children of this city.
PRINCE, Judge John Samuel
One of the most profound lawyers and eminent citizens of Heuderson county is Judge John S. Prince, who was born on a farm iu Jones county, Mississippi, August 14, 1861, which period marked the beginning of the civil war and in which his native state gave an honored account of itself, being one of the centers of strife, and its soil was drenched with the blood of as brave heroes as ever fell on any battlefield. Judge Prince's father, Samuel Priuce, was born in the Palmetto state of South Carolina and there grew up a farmer boy. In 1860 he made a trip from his native state to Texas, returned, and later went to Jones county, Mississippi, where he organized Company D, Eighth Mississippi Regiment, weut out as Captain, and during the last three years of the war held the rank of Brigade Quartermaster. He was in the first battle of Manassas, after which with a small squad of men he iguored disciplinary orders and for some distauce pursued the Federal troops toward Washington, D. C. It was his firm belief that the Confederacy made a grave mistake in not following up their victory and cap- turiug the national capital. He was in the battles of Stone's River, Chickamauga aud other fierce engagements, and died in Sebastian county, Arkansas, in 1872, the war having seriously impaired his health and decimated his fortune in land and slaves. Ilis wife before marriage was directly related to the noted family of Fitzpatricks in Georgia, being Miss Matilda Fitzpatrick. Children were born to the union and the mother still lives at the ripe age of eighty-three years and is tenderly cared for by her offspring residing in Athens and vicinity. Judge Prince, whose uame initiates this sketch, atteuded school only five months during his early career, that being at the public schools aud Tehuacana College; hence he is a self-made and highly deserving mau. His splendid education has largely been absorbed and obtained in the broad school of experience. He studied law uuder private tutorship and was admitted to the Henderson county bar at Athens in 1899. He is now serving his second term as county judge of Henderson, and as such has made a fine record for economy and efficiency. When he went into office the county had been issuing serip for forty years. Today the expendi- tures are one-third less and warrants are at par. Judge Prince has a number of times served as special judge of the District Court, and his many ardent friends throughout this judicial district have in the past urged him to permit the use of his name as a
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candidate for this high honor, but he refused to enter the race against a home man. However, it is probable that he will in the future contest for this honor, and should he decide to do so he will doubtless be successful, in which case he will be an ornament to the jurisprudence of Texas. Judge Prince began life without a dollar, has picked as much as 560 pounds of cotton per day, educated a younger brother and two sisters, and is today a large city property owner and in fine financial circumstances, residing in a handsome home and having an exceptionally valuable law library. He was married February 16, 1895, to Miss Minnie Mitcham, of this county, and they have two sons, Darwin, aged nine, and John Sterling, aged five. He is a Baptist, Knight of Pythias, and has been a Mason for the past seventeen years.
PHARR, Dr. James Andrew, A. B.
Let us locate ourselves in one of the most beautiful, romantic and historic little cities in the old Palmetto State of South Caroline-Abbeville, where took place in an archaic brick build- ing the first secession meeting, secret, held in the South. In this "Cradle of the Confeder- acy"' and town of hospitable people were born Rev. Samuel Pharr and Miss Matilda Eliza- beth Smith, father and mother of the subject whose name initi- ates this sketch. Of the seven sons and two daughters born to them there are now living one daughter and four sons, both parents also having since passed to their well-earned reward. In this connection it is interesting to say that the Pharr and Raiser families, from which the present subjects descend, were born in Germany, came over in the Cris- tobal Colon in 1703, and have for many years been numbered among the most prominent and influential in South Carolina. The senior Rev. Mr. Pharr was a warm friend and ardent admirer of John C. Calhoun; was a cousin of Dr. John A. Broadus, founder of the Theological College of Louisville, Ky .; preached the Gospel for forty years to the Southern people and those of the Indian nations, and died March 22, 1881, in Hopkins county. He moved his family to Texas in 1849 and settled on a farm near Paris, in Lamar county; and it was here that Dr. James Andrew Pharr, A. B., was born, March 18, 1852. He matured to young manhood on the farm and derived his educa- tion from the public schools and Mckenzie College, Clarksville. Dr. Pharr's life has been assiduously devoted to the broad and useful fields of the drug business, practicing medicine, and as an evangelist in the Baptist ministry, having devoted much of his time during the past thirty years' of his career to the Master's cause in evangelistie work over the different states. For a number of years he resided at Brandon, Hill county; Sweetwater, in Nolan county, and Lubbock, in the Plains country. While in the last named territory, years ago, he invested considerable money in land and stock, and his cordial reception resulted in bogus deeds to his land and the systematic stealing of his
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stock, which misfortune seriously weakened his financial resources. In 1911 Dr. Pharr established himself in the drug business in Waco, at 705 Franklin street, which, iu addition to practicing medicine, fully occupies his time and attention. Dr. Pharr was married to Miss Hattie L. Phenix, of Lamar county, March 21, 1880, aud one son and five daughters, all living, constitute their family. Strong in the faith of the Baptist church, and the parents being admirers of Dr. R. C. Burleson, they did the natural and commendable thing to have all their children educated in Baylor University. All like Waco and are allied with the First Baptist church.
CITIZENS NATIONAL BANK, of Abilene
Strangers visitiug Abilene go away with pleasant impressions. With the country ele- vated nearly two thousand feet above sea level, free from malaria and all zymotie dis- eases, the air pure and health-giving-hence the people are at all times in fine health and spirits, especially when greeting visitors. Qnite naturally they are proud of themselves, proud of their climate, proud of their rich and pro- gressive conntry and, in particular, their laud- able institutions. This leads us to speak of the banks of Central West Texas, whose broad and liberal policies have been the fulcrum in the development of this part of the state and the making of what it is today. One of the strongest banks in Central West Texas is the Citizens National Bauk of Abilene. It was originally established in November, 1902, with a capital stock of $75,000. In June, 1910, the same was increased to $150,000, with $30,000 surplus and undivided profits, and its present capital stock, surplus and undivided profits amonnt to $200,000. It is conducted according to all the rigid requirements of the Federal government, and its facilities in behalf of its enstomers and friends are in line with modern times.
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